Garment-stretcher.



D. G. FINLEY.

GARMENT STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1912.

Patented June 30, 1914,

ATTORNEY I WITNESSES INVENTOR- fifi am 1,

COLUMIIA FLAME!!! C0" WAMINOI'ON. D. C.

Davis G. FINLEY, or GRAND IsLAivn, Nriisnasne.

GARMENT-anemones.

ioness.

Application filed. December 4, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June so, 191

Serial No. 734,938.

Z '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID G. FINLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Island, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Garment-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in garment stretchers, being particularly designed for creasing and stretching the legs of trousers, and its object is to provide a device for the purpose which may be introduced into the leg of the trousers while in the contracted position and then may be readily released to assume an expanded position under tension to properly shape and crease the trousers leg, the release of the device being perforn'ied by manipulation wholly outside the garment. 4

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a stretching frame comprising two relatively rigid members joined together by spring members tending to separate the rigid members for an appropriate distance and yieldable to compressive force to permit the approach of the rigid members. There are also provided locking devices for the corresponding ends of the rigid members, which locking devices retain the device in the contracted position While being introduced into the trousers leg, and then by a manipulation wholly from the outside of the trousers leg the lockii'lg members may be released, so that the rigid members are forced apart by the eXpansion of the spring devices with suitable tension to remove wrinkles from the trousers legs and to produce the desired creasing.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de tailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention it is susceptible of other practical embodiments, wherefore the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modified so long as suchchanges and modifications mark no' material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is an elevation of the device in position in a trousers leg with portions of the latter broken away to expose some portions of the device/to view. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a connector, drawn on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one end of the garment stretcher in the locked position. Fig. -i is a perspectve view of the same end of the garment stretcher but unlocked and fully expanded.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a frame composed of two members 1 and 2 which may each be in the form of two long comparatively narrow and thin strips of wood or other suitable material connected end to end by a separable fastening device to be hereinafter described. These strips are usually curved longitudinally into general conformity to the shape of the trousers leg and the edges of the strips designed to directly engage the material of the garment may be beveled, as indicated at 3, so that without reducing the strength of the device the desirable lengthwise crease at the front and rear of the trousers leg may be produced.

The two strips 1 and 2 are joined near their middle portions by spring connectors 1-, each of which may be made of a length of elastic wire, such as steel, formed into an intermediate loop 5, and at the ends appropriately bent and shaped, as indicated at 6, to enter those edges of the strips 1 and 2 remote from the bevel edges 3. The endsfi may be pointed and be driven into the mate rial of the strips 1 and 2 when the latter is made of wood, orthe springs i may be connected to the strips 1 and 2 in any suitable manner. Q that they tend constantly to separate the strips 1 and 2 to a maximum distance, but these springs will yield to pressure exerted upon the strips 1 and2 tending to cause them to approach until they are suflici'ently close together to be readily introduced into the trousers leg.

Connected to the respective strips 1 and 2 are lock members 7 and 8, respectively, one member, say the member 7, having one end formed into a tooth 9 adapted to be driven into the corresponding end of the member 1 or 2 as the case may be, and at the other end the member 7 is formed into an eye projecting at approximately right angles to the length of the member 7, the said member being made of a single piece of wire of appropriate gage bent into shape. Adjacent the tooth end of the member 7 the latter is provided with a substantially right angle The springs 4 are. so constructed bend 11 forming a shoulder, this shoulder being quite close to the respective member 1 or 2. The member 8 is formed at one end with a tooth 12 designed to enter the corresponding end of the member 1 or 2 as the case may be, and at the other end the member 8 is formed into an eye 18. The eye 10 of the member 7 projects with relation to the length of the member in the same direction as the tooth 9, while the eye 13 projects likewise with respect to the member 8 but in the opposite direction to the tooth 12. l/Vhen the parts are assembled the eye 10 of the member 7 is traversed by the body portion of the member 8 and the eye-13 of the member 8 is traversed by the body portion of the member 7 between the eye 10 and the shoulder 11.

It will be observed that in the arrangement shown in the drawings the member 7 at one end of the structure is connected to thei strip 1 and the member 7 at the other end of the structure is connected to the strip 2. These two members are alike, eXcept as to length, since the lower end of the trousers leg is customarily narrower than the upper end, so that it is desirable that those ends of the strips 1 and 2 which correspond to the lower end of the trousers leg shall approach closer than the upper ends. Likewise the member 8 at the upper end of the structure is connected to the corresponding end of the member 2, while at the lower end of the structure itis connected to the member 1.

In other respects the members 7 and 8 at the encyof. the member 8 must be overcome in order to remove the loop 13 from engagement with the shoulder 11. lVhile the parts are in this-locked position the springs 1 are under the greatest tension, and the distance between the beveled edges of the members 1 and 2 is then less than the interior diameter of the leg when flattened out, so that the structure is readily introduced into and positioned in the trousers leg; Now, by grasping the members 1' and 2 through the cloth of the trousers leg with the hands of the operator exterior to the trousers leg, a moderate relative longitudinal movement of the members 1 and 2 will cause the escape of the loop 13' from the shoulder 11, this being effected by grasping the members 1 and 2 near one end and through the trousers leg and moving the members. lengthwise one withrelation to the other until the release is effected when the spring at the corresponding end of the structure will cause the spreading of that end of the structure until in firm engagement with the trousers leg. The operation may be then repeated with respect to the other end of the structure, and such end released. Both strips are now in action and the members 1 and 2 are brought into firm engagement with the interior of the trousers leg, thus stretching it and tending to remove all wrinkles, while the desirable creases are ultimately produced either by the automatic action of the device after a lapse of time, or by such manipulation as may be desirable. It is to be observed that the release of the locking members does not require the introduction of the hand of the operator into the trousers leg, but is performed wholly by manipulation occurring exterior to the trousers leg.

The whole structure may be very cheaply and expeditiously produced and in practice is found to be highly efficient.

When it is desirable to remove the structure it is only necessary to grasp the members 1 and 2 through the material of the trousers leg and cause themto approach until the eyes 13 snap behind the shoulders 11, when the structure is so reduced in expanse as to be readily withdrawn from the trousers leg without even thenthe necessity of intro ducing the hand thereinto.

11s ity is often desirable to reduce the length of the device for packing or storage, or when traveling, the two members 1 and 2 are each provided with an intermediate connecting member composed of sleeves 15 and 16 fast to the corresponding ends of the two, parts ofthe member 1 or 2 as the case may be. .The sleeve 16. has fast in it a smaller sleeve 17 of a size to snugly enter the open end of the sleeve 15, so that the sleeve 17 which projects from the sleeve 16 in the direction of the length of both is in the nature of a tenon and the end of the sleeve 15 beyond the respective part of the member 1 or 2 constitutes a socket for the reception of the tenon. In order that the two parts of the member 1 or 2 may be locked together for ready separation, the tenon sleeve 17 is provided with a passage 18 and fast to the sleeve. 15 is one end of aleaf spring. 19 terminating at the other end in an offset shoulder 20 from which there continues a finger piece '21 for the manipulation of the spring. The shoulder 20 and corresponding portion of the finger piece 21 is adapted to enter the passage 18, so as to lock therein and hold the tenon in its socket against accidental withdrawal. The finger piece 21 is rounded, so that the spring 19 is readily bent out of the way when the tenon is introduced into the socket and thetension of the spring will cause the socket, in which position the sleeves and 16 may be approximately in abutment. The connecting members hold the respective parts of the two parts 1 and 2 in firm alinement, but at the same time the parts are readily separable by a suitable manipulation of the finger piece 21, whereby the latch is withdrawn from engagement with the tenon, whereupon the two parts of the device are readily separable and may then be brought together to occupy a space only half the length of that which the full device occupies.

What is claimed is 1. A garment stretcher comprising elongated strips of relatively stiff material, spring members connected to the strips adjacent to the central portion of the garment stretcher and tending constantly to move the strips away one from the other, and connecting members at the ends of the strips each telescopically connected to the other and one of said members being formed near one end close to the respective strip with a lock device and the other member being formed at the end remote from its re spective strip with a lock device coacting with the first lock device to hold the strips in the collapsed position in opposition to the tendency of the connecting springs.

2. A garment stretcher comprising elongated strips of relatively stiff material, connecting spring members secured to the strips adjacent to the middle portions of the elongated strips and having a constant tendency to separate the strips, and connecting members for the ends of the strips each terminating in an eye surrounding the other connecting member, and one of said connecting members being formed adjacent to the strip carrying it with a single shoulder behind which the eye of the other member may lock.

A garment stretcher comprising elongated members of relatively stiff material, sprin members joining the elongated members at their middle portions only and tending to separate said elongated members, and

connections for the ends of the elongated members comprising elongated devices each slidable on the other, one having a normal tendency to move away from the other, and the other slidable device being formed with a single shoulder adjacent to the strip carrying it, and behind which the outer end of the other member will snap under its normal tendency.

4. A garment stretcher comprising elongated strips of relatively stiff material, spring members connecting said strips at points remote from their ends and having a normal tendency to separate the strips, and connecting locking members for the ends of the strips each consisting of a wire fast at one end to a respective strip and projecting toward the other strip, and each having one end formed into a loop encircling the other wire, one wire being bent adjacent to the strip carrying it into a shoulder and the other wire having a normal tendency to move away from the wire with the shoulder formed in it to snap behind the shoulder when the elongated strips are brought into approaching relation.

5. A garment stretcher comprising relatively stiff garment engaging members each divided at the middle portion into two parts and there formed one with a tenon and the other with a socket for the tenon and a spring latch for engaging the tenon, and connecting members for the relatively stiff garment engaging members fast thereto on opposite sides of the tenon and socket and adjacent thereto, and coacting locking means at the ends of the garment engaging members one in engagement with the other to limit the expansion of the garment stretcher under its normal tendency and to lock the garment stretcher in the collapsed position.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID G. FINLEY.

Witnesses:

M. T. GARLOW, CnAs. F. ROSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

